Houdini Blues
by ghost girl 1920
Summary: I sincerely hope that the next time he sees me, in our final hour and goodbye, he wraps his cold hands around my neck. All ten fingers wrapped around my throat in style as he prays for the courage of his thumbs to press down,"The life may leave my lungs, but my heart will stay with you". Raven and the gang befriend the new girl, but what happens when things get a little too spooky?
1. Chapter 1

The rain hitting the windshield sounded like little gun shots.

"Well," my mother sighed as she turned and looked at me, "I'll back in." She pressed a controller that had been placed in her hand and the garage door opened. I lifted up the hood of my sweater as I pushed open the car door without responding.

This house was a lot bigger than our last.

The lawn looked well kept, the bushes and trees were placed in a decorative manner. I stood in the garage as my mom ran to the back of the small trailer. She had backed up as far as she could without being in the garage, preventing our boxes from getting wet. The trailer screeched as the back was pulled down and placed on the ground like a ramp. "I'll get the first few," Mom said to me before pulling out a key. "You can go look inside. I've already seen it." A small smile crossed her lips; I grabbed the key and walked out of the garage to the porch.

It was nice and covered with a porch swing in the far corner and hooks for hanging plants. A black kitten ran from a bush up to my feet. I smiled and softly pushed it away, "not today sweet heart." Pushing the key into the lock, I turned the knob.

I walked into a large unfurnished living room; the house was two stories tall. We have never lived in something this nice.

My mind raced as I walked up the staircase. The second floor overlooked a portion of the downstairs living room and had a small one of its own. An arm wrapped around my shoulders, "Let me show you my room."

My mother guided me towards the door on our left. She opened it as we walked into the big area. It was nice, with a restroom and walk-in closet. I knew she was excited over this. She had always talked about living somewhere like this.

We were never really poor, but we could never really afford a house as nice. For as long as I remember we had lived in a small two bedroom apartment. That was all we really needed for the two of us. Mom had gotten pregnant when she was around fifteen, and since then has been saving half of all her income for a house like the one we now had. Sixteen years later she owned it.

There were two other rooms up here, and mom led me to the one she decided would be mine.

I smiled when I saw it. The room was directly across from hers and like a second master room. As a matter of fact it looked almost exactly like hers except with a nice little balcony. Instead of white walls they were a deep maroon color. She patted my back, "You like it?"

"Yeah," I looked back up at her. We walked out and halfway down the stairs before a thought accrued to me. "What about the other room?"

Mom shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. There's another master downstairs that your aunt will be living in. But I don't know what will go here."

I wasn't surprised Aunt Donna would be living here. Her and mom where very close and Donna had a hard time keeping enough of an income to afford a place of her own. She would crash on our couch a lot after getting evicted. Mom was only making her pay for groceries as 'rent' so we figured this would help her out enough to save up and finally settle. And if she didn't mom would probably just keep her here. It's not like we didn't have room.

"We only bought some furniture in this trailer so we'll have to deal until everything else gets dropped off later." I followed my mom into the humid garage and grabbed the end of a coffee table. Although we had lived in a cheap apartment, mom had always kept it nicely furnished.

Soon we had the whole living room set up along with a few small tables to decorate the hallway.

"We'll have to buy a nice dinner table to put in the dining room," I said as I walked around the empty space. She had her hand pulled up to her lip with a nail between her teeth, "and a lovely rug to go under it."

There was a knock on the door before it opened and a tall skinny woman walked though. "Oh, it's so nice!" My aunt walked over to us and held her arms out. Her blonde hair just touched the tips of her ears.

My mother wrapped her arms around Donna, "Let me show you your room!" We all walked further back in the house, passing the kitchen and a small restroom before stopping at a door. The room was much like my mothers, with the same style restroom and closet, but instead had a small door leading to the back. Donna gasped and put one hand to her mouth and the other around me. "This is so much nicer than any room I have ever had."

I hugged her and looked up, "Do you need help unloading?" She nodded and led my mother and I out of the room. By this time the rain had nearly stopped.

All of Donna's stuff was crammed into about eight boxes, making it fairly fast to unload. Mom and Donna carried in her furniture by themselves while I was setting it up as it came. After about an hour we had finished and were lounging in the living room.

Donna sat in the small loveseat while Mom and I were on opposite ends of the couch. "I don't know when the moving van will be here," Mom looked up from the ground and over at us, "But we need to go get groceries before the stores close tonight."

Donna nodded, "I'm sure Ashley can stay here and wait for them." My mother sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'd hate to do that but we really need to," she said looking over at me. Shrugging my shoulders I responded, "I'll be fine."

Donna stood up and grabbed her keys as my mom walked over to me. "When they come just tell them where to put the boxes upstairs. They're all labeled," she kissed my forehead before walking towards the door.

Not soon after they had left the movers showed up. I was thankful mom had paid extra for them to unload the boxes for us because it was starting to rain again, and there was no way I would survive carrying everything upstairs.

My room was the first to be unloaded because it was the last to be packed up. While they were putting all the other boxes in mom's room, I made myself busy by unpacking and setting up my room. It was nice to finally have extra space and a colored wall. I knew mom had saved this room for me because the walls matched my black furniture.

I was halfway finished unpacking before a man walked through the door. He was tall and dark skinned with short black hair, "We're all done." I nodded and followed the men down the stairs and out the front door, locking it behind them.

Mom and Donna had been gone for about two hours now, and with everything in my room set up I had nothing to do. Cable was not going to be on until tomorrow so I sprawled out on my bed and looked up at the ceiling.

I wasn't mad at my mom for moving me ten hours away from our old town. The summer was about to end and I had done nothing but stay home throughout it. I wasn't friendless, I just didn't like being around people. It wasn't hard for me to find out that everyone talks about everyone, so I ended up separating myself from that. I had hopped the move here would help me meet some decent people. This would be my last year of high school and I wanted the typical great senior year.

The next day I woke up from the sun shining through my windows. Making a mental note to get curtains, I walked out of the room and down the stairs.

"Hey Ash," Donna said looking up from her plate at the bar in the kitchen. I smiled and sat down beside her. Mom was standing in front of the stove, cooking eggs. She turned around and faced me, "I'm glad you went to sleep at a decent time last night. I'm sorry we got home so late."

I took the plate from her and nodded, "Yea, I see you unpacked everything though."

"Girl we did not get any sleep. You may as well consider us nocturnal now, "Donna laughed as she sat her fork down. Mom joined her in laughter and put dishes in the sink. "I'm about to head up and finally get some sleep. I'm exhausted!"

"I bet."

Donna walked to her room and shut the door behind her. Mom looked at me and smiled, "school here starts tomorrow."

^o^

"Ashley," My mother looked over at me from the driver seat. Her eyes were a light blue and her hair a soft brown. She was dressed in a casual dress with natural makeup covering her eyes. I was proud of her for coming as far as she had. It had always been her dream to open a bakery, and today she was meeting with her relator. "Good luck today."

I smiled back at her as I pushed open the car door. The humid air hit my face as I gulped it in. My mind raced as I looked around at the tall walls. The school looked very well kept and fairly new. No one was outside so I assumed class had already started. I relaxed for a minute before taking a few steps. It seemed as though the nerves were just beginning to arrive, when they should have a few days ago. I quickly brushed a hand through my black hair as I walked through the heavy doors.

The office was to the left of the entrance and quite large. A tiny blonde woman sitting behind the counter looked up at me, "Hello there!" Her accent was almost as strong as her perfume. I gave a small wave before walking closer to her, "My name is Ashley Jac-"

"Oh yes," she nodded and stood up quickly, working her way over to a file cabinet. Slowly closing my mouth, I moved backwards. "We've been expecting you for a while now, figured you just weren't going to show today. School started about two hours ago." She turned to me with a hateful gaze.

I shook my head, "I'm sorry my old school started at nine." She put her hand in the air and walked back to her seat with a file in her hand. My palms were wet with sweat as I tugged on the sleeves of my hoodie. So far, my first day at Dullsville High was not going too great.

Her nose scrunched as she looked me up and down, "Here is your schedule." The petite woman handed me a piece of paper before turning back to her computer. "Thank you," I bit my lip. The woman turned back around to me and kept her eyes closed as she spoke, "Please just get to class, you're already tardy. "

I huffed and turned around to walk out the door before she spoke again, "We're in second period."

My second period was AP English, which was not too bad considering it was my favorite subject. Yet, I couldn't find the strength in me to open the door then walk in. I slowly reached out my hand and turned the handle before pulling it back.

An old man, possibly in his sixties stood in front of a class room. He smiled as I walked over to him, holding out my schedule. He quickly took it to make sure I was where I needed to be. Handing it back he spoke to me, "Hello Ashley. What a pretty name, I've been waiting to meet you for about a week now. I see you will be perfect for this project." Confusion swarmed my thoughts as someone in the room spoke out.

"What project?"

The old man laughed and turned to his desk, "Well hold on now we need to get Ms. Ashley settled." His back was hunched over as he walked around. I couldn't help but think about how easily it seemed he would break. He handed me a stack of paper then spoke again.

"Class, Ashley will hand you all a sheet of paper explaining the project." He turned around quickly and spread his arms out wide, "Then we discuss." I grinned at the old man as I passed a stack of paper down each row. When I was done, a hand touched my back. "You can just find a seat now, you did great." There were two empty seats, both in the back corner. I chose one and looked down at the paper on my desk.

"Assuming you all can read," The man started, "this project will be about a famous poet. You will be assigned a partner-". Groans erupted and hands slammed on desk. The old man did not seem to be affected by this. He laughed and continued talking, "I have already chosen so you can all just be quiet and accept your fates. Now you do get to choose who your project will be on. But Katy Perry is not a poet and to prevent a project on the current pop artist you will choose out of a hat. You will turn in an essay no less than ten pages on the poet's life and work. Along with that you will be required to present some kind of visual. This will be due at the end of the month."

I looked around the classroom, observing the people in it. It seemed as though half the cheer squad was here along with a few athletes and a couple of 'normal' kids sprinkled in. I could get along with everyone for the most part. I had done it at my old school.

The old man was now at his desk, calling out the groups. Everyone seemed to have been happy with their results. I looked down at my schedule to find out my teachers name. Mr. Sorenson, from what I could tell, was a nice little man who enjoyed what his job. "Ashley can you come here please," he looked down his glasses at me with a smile.

"Your partner is not here today, but she will most likely be here Wednesday. It's not like Raven to miss my class, but rather her others. Something must be wrong but I'm sure she'll be fine," Worry was evident in his voice. I gave a small smile as I took the tiny piece of paper with our names on it from him. Raven Madison. "Anyway," the old man begun, "since you're the last to come up here I can already tell you that you will be writing about Edgar Allen Poe. I have a lot of faith in Raven and now in you." He smiled up at me before the bell rung.

The thought of lunch was scary. I sat alone at the table before a plate was dropped across from me. I looked up to see a girl with short chocolate brown hair sit down. She was wearing a stripped black and white shirt and ripped skinny jeans, "My name is Becky." She picked up her milk and drank it from the carton. "I'm Ashley."

Becky nodded, "I know who you are. Everyone's talking about the new girl but no one's over here with you." I looked around the cafeteria, only to in fact find people looking at me. Resting my head on my hand I looked over at Becky.

"Why are you sitting with me? Do you not have any friends?" She laughed and quickly bought a hand to her mouth. Her eyes were dark green color that went well with her olive skin tone. "Not really, no one here is worth talking to."

A boy I noticed from my English class walked over to the table and sat beside Becky. "This is my only friend," She smiled, "Matt." He had shaggy brown hair and was kind of muscular. Matt smiled and pushed his glasses up his nose, "Who did you get paired with in Sorenson's?"

I sighed, "Someone named Raven." Matt's eyes got big and Becky coughed on her food. I looked between them, "what?" Becky shook her head with a smile, her short hair staying in place.

"Good luck working with her. She doesn't do anything but talk about Alexander," Matt answered for her. I pulled on my sleeves and looked down at my bag. Why would Mr. Sorenson be so happy to pair me up with someone who doesn't work? I had been really excited to get on the teachers good side but now I was panicking.

Becky slapped Matt and played with her meatloaf, "Raven's not mean or anything, she's my best friend. Sorenson is the only teacher that lets her sit out on presentations." I sighed and played with the ends of my hair. No wonder he was so happy about this project, I'd have to do all the work for some lazy kid the teacher was fond of.

The rest of the day went fine, no one made as much of an effort to talk to me as they did to watch me. Overall I was happy with this school so far. Although it went better than expected, I was happy it was over. My mother was waiting for me after school at the entrance.

"How was it?"

I shrugged my shoulders and looked from the window to her, "It was okay. I made two friends; I know you're going to ask that next." She laughed and put a hand on my knee, "I'm glad it was okay."

When we got home Aunt Donna was setting our dinner on the bar. Mom looked around and mumbled to herself, "We have to get a table."

The smell of pasta filled the air and I smiled, "Why are you cooking so early?"

Donna giggled and sat down across from mom and to the side of me. Her skin was nearly glowing when she spoke. "I have such good news for the both of you," she got up and danced around before kissing my forehead. "I had two job interviews today, both for receptionist." My mom screamed and hugged her sister. This was a big step for her, and we all shared the excitement.

"I have exciting news to!" I looked up at my mom as her and Donna sat back down and began to eat their food. He cheeks were flushed as she spoke again, "I think I met someone." She paused for a second before looking between Donna and me.

"Well I know I met someone," she laughed almost angelically. "But, I mean romantically. He's the real estate agent and he's just so sweet. We flirted a lot." I laughed at my mom and brought my fork to my mouth. I was happy she was finally comfortable dating. Not once since I've been born has she ever worried about her love life until now. Throughout dinner she gushed about how handsome this man was, but she never gave a name.

After dinner I got a call from an old friend, Alanna. She gushed to me about all the latest drama going on in my old town of Sotelo and asked me how it was here. "Well," I started as I looked into the mirror. My hair went down to my waist in waves. "It's good I guess. I've only been here a few days. Nothing has happened really."

"That means it's boring," She laughed. "Are there any cute boys?"

"Not that I've seen," I mumbled as I played with my bangs. She sighed on the other line. "Have you even tried to look or are you just being boring like you always are?" I walked from the restroom and threw myself on the bed, "I'm not boring."

"When you lived here you never left the house, which needs to change.

**A/N: Hi! Thanks for reading; this is the first Chapter of many that I have written. I plan on uploading more than one chapter today in an effort to pull in readers and help people figure out what it's really all about. I cannot say the character pairing because it will give everything away but I can say it obviously does not revolve around Raven and Alexander. Right now it is slow but it will pick up and she will meet the vampire clan soon! Please leave your comments for me to build on!**


	2. Chapter 2

The room was less than comfortable to be in. A chubby woman stood at the front with a laser pointer in her hand. She went on about equations as I struggled to stay awake. Math was never a good class for me to be in. It was boring and did not hold my attention much at all. This was my first period class I had missed yesterday, and I was thankful I had. It was 105 minutes of torture.

Dullsville High School was different than my last in many ways. The main classes here were each an hour and forty-five minutes while electives were only thirty. We also only got two electives a semester. In some ways it did seem better, I had more time to focus on my main courses.

When the bell rang I was the first out of my seat. I sighed as I walked down the hallway towards the English section of the school. If there was one thing I liked more about this school than my last, it was the way it was divided. Each course had its own hallway; this made it easier to figure out where I was.

People here were different. No one talked to anyone outside of their clique. No one stood at their lockers either. Lockers were not even assigned here unless you asked for one. It did not bother me much at all considering I never used one anyway.

Mr. Sorenson was standing at his door when I arrived to class. "Hello Ashley," he showed his brown teeth to me as I walked past him with a grin. It did not take long to notice someone was in the seat I took yesterday. The person's arms where crossed on the desk with a head coated in long black hair over them.

It seemed as though people had moved around to be by their partners, so the only empty seat was second to last in the next row. I sat down and looked back over at the figure. A black short sleeved shirt covered a torso and tight jeans were on the legs. The person didn't seem to have bought anything with them to class.

The tardy bell rang and Mr. Sorenson walked through the door, closing it behind him. I noticed the body move before I turned back to the front of the class.

"Now," Mr. Sorenson began, "I will not give you time to work on your project in class often so it will need to be worked on outside of school. Today however I have decided to let you get started with your partners seeing as though I have many papers to grade."

It took a while for me to remember I did not know my partner, although I knew it was the person in my seat. My heart raced as I thought about actually talking to someone first. I have always been convinced it was just too awkward for me, so I avoid it as much as I can. Quickly I turned around to look back at the figure, this time it was sitting up.

Long hair covered the sides of the girl's face like a blanket, hiding a majority of her face. Her arms where crossed and she was looking towards Mr. Sorenson. I breathed deeply as I looked her up and down. She was slender, but not scrawny. Her head turned and bright eyes looked back at me. The girl was a milky-white color. There was something about her that intrigued me. She pulled her eyebrows together and tilted her head almost as if she was confused.

"Ashley," I quickly turned back around only to see Matt sitting in front of me. He laughed before speaking again, "You okay?"

I nodded and ran a hand through my hair, "Yeah. I just don't know who my partner is." Matt smiled back and pointed behind me. My stomach started to ache as I realized that girl was Raven. I was hoping another student wasn't there yesterday either. "Good luck," Matt said before turning back around and standing up. I sucked in air and closed my eyes. I ran my hands over my thighs after I stood up. Turning around I looked back towards Raven. She was scribbling something down in a small journal, her hands moving fast.

"Hey," I said as I sat down in front of her. She quickly closed the journal and looked up. A look of frustration crossed her face, "We're partners." She looked at her desk then back up at me, "Who did we get?" Her voice was higher than I expected it to be.

"Edgar Allen Poe."

A bright smile crossed her face, "Oh I love him! Do you read any of his work?" I gulped at her sudden change in behavior. "Not really. I mean I have read the popular ones but have never gotten too into him. Not very goth of me, I know."

She nodded with a giggle and pulled a folded up paper from her journal. I recognized it as the sheet that told us all the directions for this project. Raven looked at it for a minute then back up at me, "I'll write the paper and you can do the rest."

I laughed and looked up at the ceiling, pulling at the end of my shirt. "That doesn't seem fair at all," I replied. She would be doing way more work than I would be. Raven shrugged, "Anyone else would be happy I want to do most of the project by myself. Besides, my boyfriend will be a great help to us."

"Well I'm not," I said getting on my knees and putting my elbows on her desk. She pulled her hands to her lap and leaned back. Mr. Sorenson stood beside me with a smile on his face looking from me to Raven. "How are you two doing so far," he asked. Raven didn't answer but looked to me. "Great," I answered forcing a smile.

"I'm glad to hear that," the old man shook his head with a laugh. "When are you two meeting up to work on it?" I took this opportunity to look back at Raven. It was silent for a few seconds before she answered. "We don't really feel like we need to. We just worked out a way to divide it,"she looked over at me, "[i]evenly [/i]."

"Oh no," Mr. Sorenson quivered and walked behind me putting himself between Raven and I. "You need to meet up on it. The presentation has to have quotes from the paper and it all needs to go together." Raven sighed and nodded. "Sure." Mr. Sorenson smiled as he walked away to another group. I scrunched up my nose, "When?"

She smiled, "I'm not sure! Maybe Friday or Saturday night! We could shave a sleepover and listen to Manson." She pointed at my shirt with a smile as I looked down. Marilyn Manson graced the fabric and I giggled, forgetting I chose this for my outfit today, "It's a deal!"

People stole glances before I arrived to my seat as Matt was getting in his. He turned back and looked at me, "How'd it go?" I kneaded my eyebrows together, "good." Matt shrugged and pushed his glasses up on his nose, "I'm not surprised."

I spent the rest of the class talking to Matt about Dullsville. Apparently, there was nothing to do here despite the reputation it had for tourism. He had lived here since he was five, and met Becky during freshman year. She moved here before high school started in hopes of making friends and not being left out. Looks like it didn't work that way.

The bell rang before Matt could finish what he was saying. I stood up and grabbed my bag, following Matt out the door. Quickly, I looked back at Raven as she walked up the aisle. Her hair was in her face as she looked straight ahead.

I walked up to the line and stopped behind a group of boys. One turned around as the rest glanced past him at me. He held put his hands in his pockets, "I'm Trevor." His hair was blonde and barely touched the tips of his ears. Trevor's eyes where a piercing blue that reminded me of my own. "Ashley," I responded with a small smile before grabbing my plate from a lunch lady. We were now holding up the line, "Anyway I just wanted to tell you how pretty you are." I blushed as I looked up at Trevor. He smiled with his plate before turning and walking the other way.

Becky's mouth was open and her eyes wide when I sat down at the table. Her hair was messy today instead of flat, "What'd the captain of the soccer team have to say?" Becky smirked and picked up her burger.

I choked on my fry, "that's what he is?" I never really fell into the cliché high school story line where you swoon over the lead soccer player, but it was exciting when someone that every other girl wanted compliments me. "Exactly who he is," Matt said sitting down beside Becky.

"Oh," I shrugged, "well he called me pretty." Becky laughed and held her hand up for a high five. Tilting my head, I slowly lifted my hand to her. I wasn't used to people like them. They seemed sincere and loyal. We talked about random things until Matt spoke again, "Ashley met Raven today." I bit my lip and crossed my legs under the table. I couldn't understand why Matt felt the need to bring that up. Becky smirked, "Oh really? How did you like my best friend?"

I swallowed my food and thought for a second. "She's cool, obviously someone I have things in common with. Kind of intimidating though." Becky laughed so loud several people turned to us.

"She wouldn't hurt a fly."

**^o^**

When school ended, my mother was waiting for me in the same place she had the day before. I opened the door and threw my bag behind me in the backseat. "We really need to get you a car," my mother said as she started driving. "Yeah we do," I knew how to drive but I didn't have a car.

Mom ran a hand through her shoulder length hair before speaking again, "Donna didn't get the jobs. She's not happy so when we get home just avoid her. She should be in her room anyway." Donna deserved to get the jobs; she was sweet and had all the job requirements. Yet she could never get one due to her reputation. She just wasn't someone people wanted working for them.

When we did get home, Donna was laying in the living room watching a Friends rerun. "Hey Ash," she mumbled as I walked past her towards the stairs. I smiled sympathetically, "I'm sorry." She nodded before turning the volume up.

When I got to my room, I finished my homework fairly quickly and changed into my running clothes. I figured I could run around town and maybe find a library or book store to get a book on Edgar Allen Poe. Running was easy for me, and had a relaxing effect. If there was anything I needed then, it was to be relaxed.

I told my mother I was leaving then headed out. The evening air made in comfortable to run in. I ran through my neighborhood towards downtown. Dullsville was a small town, and we lived only a few blocks away.

I ran towards the town, looking at the scenery as I went. I made a mental note of the cemetery a street away from mine. It wasn't long before I arrived, and started walking. There was a theatre with a candy store next to it. Little kids where standing outside pulling on their parents hands, begging to go it.

A few stores down, a small building caught my eye. It was two stories like every building downtown yet it looked older than any other. Richard's Books. I smiled and pulled out my phone, checking the time. My curfew for a school night was in thirty minutes. I hurriedly turned around and started running back home. It was awhile before I stopped and checked the time again. Ten Minutes. There was no way I was going to make it and the sun was completely set.

I picked up the pace and didn't stop. It wasn't long before I noticed the cemetery, but this time it wasn't on the same street. If I crossed it I could get home faster without getting in trouble. I sucked in air and ran towards it. Running through the wooded cemetery at night alone has never sounded appealing to anyone, even the creepiest of people. But I sucked it up and sprinted down the trail. Minutes seemed like seconds now. The sun had set and my heart was racing almost as fast as my mind. I closed my eyes for a split second, sweat was burning them. Not long after I tripped and fell to the ground. Coughing, I stood up and brushed off my legs.

"Are you okay," A thick accent cursed my ears. I looked up to see a man towering over me, his long black hair flowing over his shoulders. I looked him up and down. The mystery man wore a black Korn shirt with baggy black pants and combat boots. His eyes traveled from mine to my exposed legs. I cursed as I noticed a small amount of blood running down them, "Fuck, yeah I'm alright. I didn't even notice I was bleeding!" His eyes stayed transfixed on the blood for a second before he looked away, shaking his head.

"Why are you alone at night? That's very dangerous for a young girl." I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him. His pale skin looked like he had never seen a ray of light.

"I was just on my way home and got distracted," His chocolate brown eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he nodded. "I'll walk you home," he sighed, "like I said it's very dangerous for you to be alone at night." His arm extended for me, my eyes glanced up at him questionably.

"I'm sorry but I don't even know your name?"

He laughed, "Its Alexander. Now come on, I know someone is worried for you." I took his hand and pulled myself up. The second our skin touched warmness spread throughout my body. I looked up at him and watched him gulp, I knew he had felt the same thing as I did but chose to not speak on it. We began to walk.

"So where are you from?" I asked breaking the silence. Alexander smiled, "I am from Romania, my butler and I moved here about two years ago. I take it you are not from here either?"

I looked up at his face, it was so beautiful I felt my cheeks heat up. "No, I just moved here with my mom and aunt. My name's Ashley by the way. Ashley Jackson."

We approached my doorstep before he spoke again, "Well Ashley Jackson, it was a pleasure. I hope to be in your presence again soon." He turned on his heel and walked away before I could respond. I opened the door and there my mom stood with her arms crossed. "You're not that late but you're still late," she smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

"Have a good time baby," my mother spoke as I grabbed my bags from the car. I nodded with a smile and closed the door behind me. My mind was racing. It was Friday night and I was here at Raven's house, I didn't even know if we had all that much in common. I sighed and walked up to the door and knocked. My anxiety was taking over and I bit my lip, raising a hand to pull a piece of hair from my face. Soon a little boy opened the door; a look of disappointment crossed his face. "Urgh," He sighed, "Raven it's your friend!"

"I told you you little shit," she smiled coming up behind him ruffling his hair. "Hey," she spoke. Her mid-length hair was pulled to the side in a braid and her face covered in dark makeup, more than she was wearing at school. I smiled back at her and followed her into her house.

Her room was dark and covered in Hello Batty memorabilia. Black clothes were spread on the floor leaving no sight of the original wood.

"Sorry it's a bit messy, I was getting ready."

I looked up at her, "for…?" I thought we were just here to study and right our paper. I had no idea it meant that I needed a full face of makeup and new clothes. I tugged on the end of my oversized hoodie as she giggled.

"I was thinking we could go out. I mean we have weeks to write that paper. Wasting one date shouldn't hurt us," she put an arm around me, "it's a good chance to get to know each other. Plus we could find you a boyfriend." I scoffed at that comment; I was in no way looking for love or a shoulder to cry on. "And where do you plan on finding someone that fits my needs?"

She squealed and clapped, knowing I was reluctantly agreeing. "There's this club my boyfriends…friend," the word came through her lips like it stung, "owns. It's really cool, there's a bunch of men for you there. It's only thirty minutes away. Alexander's driving us so don't worry." I bit my lip and looked at her, "okay I guess but can we go by my house so I can get ready at least?" She smiled and nodded as she pulled me by my arm from my door.

When we arrived to my house there was no one home. I sighed in relief, knowing that if my mother had been home I would have had to come up with a lie about why I was even back.

"Wow, your house is so nice," Raven spoke as we walked up the stairs. I nodded, "thanks." I led raven to my room, shutting the door behind me as she sat on the bed. A line of painted goat skulls above framed art pieces hung on my wall. "Did you do these," Raven asked in amazement.

"Yea, I've been really big into art for a while now. I know it seems a little vain the have my own art hanging in my room but I like them, you know?" She nodded, "Alexander's the same way. I texted him your address, he said he'd be here in about an hour or so."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as she mentioned his name and quickly turned around. I knew if she saw she would think I wanted her boyfriend or something. But the truth is I really didn't, there was just this strong interest in him that somehow was taking over my head. I wanted to know everything about him, but I didn't want him.

I started on my makeup first as Raven and I talked about Dullsville. She told me all about how she and Becky had been friends forever and how Becky fell in love with Matt about a year ago. I smiled; they were cute even when they weren't in the room. My eyes were neutral with long wings of black eyeliner trailing the rim. I pulled out a tube of blood red lipstick and lined my lips.

"Girl you have got to tell me what brand that is, I need it." Raven spoke up as I turned to my closet to find clothes. I soon decided on a thin Danzig tank top and tight latex leggings, if Raven got to be a babe so did I. She smiled when she saw me emerge, "Oh you look so good!" I shrugged my shoulders. "You don't think it's too much?"

She laughed at my reaction, "There are going to be girls there with their tits out. If anything you're being modest."

A car door slammed as Raven looked through my window, "He's here!"

I followed raven as she ran down the stairs to my front door and opened it before Alexander could knock. He smiled as her arms wrapped around his small but muscular frame, "Hello my love."

"Alexander this is Ashley," she spoke waving her hands towards me. He looked up and at me never breaking eye contact, "Hello Ashley, nice to meet you." My mouth dropped a little as he spoke. Nice to meet me? Did he not recognize me or something? We had met a few days ago, talked and he walked me home. It was innocent, why was he hiding it from Raven? I decided to play along to avoid any mess that could have been.

"Nice to meet you as well," I spoke. He smiled as he grabbed Raven's hand, "Are you ladies ready?" Raven and I nodded in union and followed him to the car. I gasped in air as we approached his designer car, he was obviously very wealthy.

I rode in silence as Alexander and Raven discussed the week's events with each other. I wondered the reasoning behind Alexander's behavior, I hardly knew him and he was acting like a walk in the park was sex. His girlfriend was quickly becoming one of my best friends here. I felt a pair of eyes on me and as I looked up I saw Alexander give me a glance in the rearview mirror.

"We're almost here and I want to tell you something," he spoke softly. "Raven already knows but I don't want either of you talking to random people. Don't leave alone with them and never be alone."

"Yeah, okay mom." Raven laughed at my comment as Alexander stopped the car. Raven ran ahead of me and Alexander trailed behind.

"I know you're confused right now," he spoke softly so Raven wouldn't hear. "I think its best that Raven does not know of our meeting." I spun on my heel, "And why is that? We didn't do anything but talk. I hardly know you."

He sighed and kicked the gravel, "You don't understand right now. You will one day, but please just act normal."

"Whatever," I mumbled before running to catch up with Raven.

The club's music pounded off the wall as goths of all ages pushed on each other. Men lined the bar, I was in boy heaven. Raven and Alexander had headed into the crowd as I walked alone towards the bar. A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the crowd. I looked up to see a blonde boy with dark brown eyes like Alexander, a smile graced his face. "I am Claude," he spoke softly with a distinct accent, "Let's dance." I nodded as he pulled me towards the dance floor.

As we grinded on each other I felt a pair of eyes watching me. Looking up and around I spotted Alexander, standing tall as he held on to Raven's moving body. We locked eyes as we danced across the room.

I couldn't figure out what I thought of Alexander. At first he was a cute type of protective but now it was scary. He watched me as my body moved against Claude's, how would Raven feel to know her boyfriend held such interest in other women that he stared at them as her body was pressed seductively against him? I shook my head and turned to Claude, giving him an apologetic smile. He bent down and whispered in my ear making me shiver, "I hope we meet again."

I was finally free to walk towards the bar as I initially planned. A cute man with spiked white and red hair bit his lip as he pushed up off the wall, "Hey babe." His smile was huge as he walked towards me, his skin almost as pale as Alexander's. His eyes were mismatched and I figured it was contacts and an effort to be cool.

"Hello," I spoke with a flirty grin.

"I'm Jagger, I own this place." He pulled my arm towards him so I could hear him more clearly. "I saw you walk in with Alexander Sterling and his girl."

I sighed and looked up at him, "Yeah. Raven said you were a friend." Jagger's laughter pierced my ears, "Friend? Good to know we're on such good terms now." He leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek he whispered, "I can smell your blood." I nodded, feeling myself get uncomfortable. What the fuck was he talking about? A throat cleared and Alexander stood beside us. "That's enough of that Jasper, she doesn't know of us."

Jasper's eye grew big as confusion took over my face. "Oh," he panicked, "I mean I thought…"

Alexander held up a hand as he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him, "It's fine Jagger." Jagger rushed away into the hallway behind him before disappearing, "Wh-".

"I told you not to be alone," Alexander growled into my ear. I pulled away from him and crossed my arms, "You know, I don't even really want to be here, we were supposed to be working on a project and then Raven sprung this on me. I'm freaked out and confused." Alexander nodded before pulling me towards the door where Raven was already waiting.

"That was so fun," she screamed as we walked towards the car. Alexander suddenly looked down just as a black kitten ran up to my feet, meowing. He watched my movements closely, his mouth opened as if he was going to say something before Raven screamed, "Oh that kitty is so cute!"

I nodded as I bent down to pet it before walking away, leaving it behind. Alexander gave me a questionable look but followed.

The ride was silent and awkward. Raven fell asleep on the way; I played with my phone in the backseat as Alexander drove. Before long we were back at Raven's in Dullsville. She kissed Alexander by as we pulled into the driveway. "Thanks," I spoke as I opened the door. He nodded and looked towards Raven, watching her walk around the house to her window. I followed as Alexander sped away to his home.

Once inside Raven turned on some music, "Alexander was a little moody tonight. He's usually never like that."

"How long have you two been together?"

A smile lit up her face as she thought of him, "About two years. We plan on….uh….getting married within the next year." I squealed and hugged her, "Oh Raven that's so cute!" I wondered if she knew of his secretive behavior.

"I like to pretend he's a vampire and I'm his human soul mate," she joked. I laughed at her thought, "Good one!"

I took off my shirt and turned to Raven, "Do you even believe in Vampires?" A worried look crossed her face; she took a second before answering me. "Yeah," she finally spoke, "I mean I've had a few of my own…..experiences. Do you?"

I thought for a second before answering, "No. None of that exists. It's like a glorified fairy tale." Raven let out a breath she looked like she had been holding in, "To each their own. What about soul mates?"

I nodded quickly, "those exist. My mother is a practicing Wiccan, she's been trying to teach me for years," I paused hoping that didn't scare Raven away. "Soul mates exist; they come in your life at the worst possible time and sweep you off your feet. You touch for the first time and your flesh burns from heat, you are bonded in this life and the next. "

She giggled, "Oh that's my Alexander." I smiled at her as I threw on my pjs.


	4. Chapter 4

Wind rushed past my face as I ran my route, the cool nighttime air felt well against my sweaty body. I looked down at my watch, seven thirty. It was a Sunday night meaning I still had two hours before I needed to be home. I slowed down and walked through the cemetery gates. The sun had set about an hour ago and the moon light was dim. I couldn't figure out why, but I was drawn to this place. A soft meow escaped from the trees as I was pulled from my thoughts when suddenly I walked into a tall body.

He looked down at me, a stern look on his face. "I thought I told you not to be alone at night?" I laughed as soon as he spoke.

"You're not my mother and I can go where I want when I want. If it's so bad why are YOU here alone?" His long black hair blew in the wind.

"I was waiting for you."

I pulled my head back and looked at him confused, "What?"

"I knew you'd be here and we need to talk about some things." He looked straight into my eyes as he spoke. "I know you're confused about the Raven thing. I needed you to keep it a secret because," he paused. I could tell he was picking his words carefully. "Raven gets a little jealous. I didn't want to ruin the friendship that you are building because she might have taken it the wrong way."

I shook my head, "Okay I guess." I knew he was lying, somehow I could easily tell.

"You look thirsty, my house is a few minutes away, I can drive you home." I nodded and followed him through the trees.

I watched him as we walked. It was if the plants bowed for him as he passed them, his stride was graceful. He really was a beautiful creature, I suddenly felt happy for Raven and slightly jealous. She had everything; he loved her with every part of him. He spoke up again, "Why do you come here all the time?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't really know. Something makes me want to be here." A worried look crossed his face as he glanced at me yet it was gone as fast as it came, "okay." He spoke softly.

We arrived at a huge mansion before Alexander spoke again, "here we are." He held the door open for me as I walked through. I could hardly speak, it was so beautiful. The gothic decor gave it an old yet sophisticated feel. An old man walked towards us, "Hello Alexander," his voice was old and shaky yet firm. The old man gave me a worried look before looking back at Alexander. "Jameson this is a friend of Raven's, her name is Ashley."

"My pleasure, Madame." I nodded and looked at Alexander questionably as him and Jameson seemed to have a conversation with their eyes. Alexander spoke up, "If you could make us some drinks and bring them to my room that would be lovely Jameson."

The old man nodded as Alexander walked up the stairway. I followed behind him until we got to what appeared to be an attic. I assumed we were in his room, there was a messy bed and art supplies everywhere. "Raven said you were an artist," He spoke as I picked up a paint brush. "Yeah, she said that about you to." He smiled.

"I suppose this is a secret as well?" His smile fell as soon as the word fell from my mouth. Alexander sighed as he sat down on the bed, "Raven cannot know about our meetings."

I scoffed, "We don't have meetings. We run into each other and talk and then you tell me it's all one big secret." Alexander put his hand to his face and a sad look fell upon him. It was silent as I walked over and sat beside him. His hair fell from behind his ears as he looked up at me. "Do you even know of your orig-" My phone cut him off.

"Yes mother," I spoke bringing the phone to my ear. Her agitated voice came through the other line, "You need to get home. Now." I looked down at my watch, it was only eight thirty. Saying okay I turned to Alexander as he nodded and stood up. I wondered what the big deal with my mom was, I didn't have to be home for another hour. Anxiety crept through me as Alexander drove me in silence to my house.

"No more going out alone at night," he spoke as we pulled into the driveway. Why did he care so much what I did alone? Shouldn't he be worrying about what Raven's doing alone? In a way he was looking out for Raven by keeping her friend safe. A small smile crossed his face as he glanced at me. His eyes had a hint of sadness behind them as I opened the car door. My mom stood on the porch waiting, Alexander saw and put his car into park.

I sighed as I watched him get out and walk towards my mother. A smile crossed her face when he held his hand out, "Hello Ms. Jackson, I am Alexander Sterling." My mother and Alexander stared into each other's eyes before she smirked and spoke again.

"Nice to meet you honey, thanks for bringing her home." He smiled as he turned back to his car. My mother put her hand on my shoulder and led me into the house.

My aunt emerged from the living room, "I was watching from the window and that boy is the hottest thing I have seen in my forty years of being alive!" My mom laughed but soon stopped and shot me a concerned look, "You're not sleeping with him… are you?"

I felt the blood rush to my face and silently thanked my makeup for preventing them from seeing me blush, "Oh my god mom no he's one of my friends boyfriends!"

My mom sighed of relief before she spoke again, "We need to talk. You're not in trouble by the way." I nodded and sat down on the couch beside my aunt. A black kitten ran from the doorway and into my lap, looked up at my mom questionably.

"That is what we need to talk about Ashley," she sat across from my aunt and I on the dining room table. A million thoughts crossed my mind, why was she making this such a big deal? It was only a cat, and it's not like I had been keeping it in the house or even feeding it, it was a stray.

Her voice was shaky, "I know you are aware of your Donna and I practicing Wicca." My aunt shifted her weight beside me as I nodded. "There is more to it. It seems as though you are of age, your familiar has arrived." I looked my mother up and down like she was crazy, "My familiar?"

"Yes," she pointed towards the kitten in my lap. "She has been following you since we arrived. It is a sign that you are ready to learn of your background." I leaned back, I really had no idea where I came from and it was an intriguing thought.

"We are a family of witches," my eyes grew wide. "There is a whole new world of supernatural beings that you have been blind of for all of these years. A lot of folklore really exists."

I started to laugh as I stood up, "Okay mom. Thanks for the joke but magic isn't real. You can't wave a finger an-" My mother held her hand up as a gust of air pushed me back down on the couch. She looked at me sternly, "You were saying?"

I shook my head left to right, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't know how. Witches don't get their powers until their familiar arrives. I have been trying to teach you of our ways for some time but you could never pick up on it." My mind was racing, I was not a witch. Witches do not exist. "What other beings exist then?"

My aunt finally spoke up, "Werewolfs, vampires, you name it. Vampires are my favorite." My mother began to laugh, "Donna vampires are every witch's favorite." I took a deep breath as she looked back at me. "Vampires are mostly attracted to witches because of their powers. A lot of vampires will mate with witches to produce magical vampire offspring."

I thought back to my conversation with Raven two nights ago, "Do soul mates exist?"

My mother's eyes began to water as she looked away from me, "Yes they do. Your father was mine but he is no longer with us and I will see him again when I pass on. Donna has not met hers yet and neither have you."

I began to feel dizzy, "How do you know when you've met them?"

"You must engage in a sexual act to be sure. I can't explain what happens; it's different for every species. Your father was a human, you just know. When you are meant to mate with a vampire your blood will smell amazing to them, taste better to them. It is better than human blood in their eyes. The vampire can sense when a witch is near. I am aware that this is the case for you, as I have watched you be pulled to the cemetery since we have arrived. Your mate is close to you. A witch cannot be turned from a vampires bite unless on sacred ground, like a ce-"

"Like a cemetery," I finished for her. It suddenly all came back to me, Alexander's protectiveness, Jagger's strange comment.

_They were vampires. _

**A/N: Okay guys! I've uploaded four chapters for you today! Please review and let me know what you think! I will be updating again Friday night!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Raven," I sighed. It was Friday night and Raven was begging me to tell her what was on my mind. She had come over to help write our rough outline of the paper and ended up staying over. Surely she knew her own boyfriend was a creature of the night? I wanted to tell someone that I was a learning witch so bad; Raven seemed like the perfect person. She must have known of the supernatural.

My powers were very rusty and I had no idea how to control them. Sometimes I would wave my hand and a small object would go flying across the room. My mother was working with me on way to have more self-control.

I came from a family of pureblood witches. When my grandparents realized my mother had been impregnated by a mortal they threw her out. Her older sister, my Aunt Donna, had taken her in and helped her through everything, resulting in both sisters being disowned by the family. A witch needs to confirm a bond with her soul mate so her powers will grow.

I turned to Raven, "Remember how you said you had your own experiences with vampires?" She nodded slowly as she sat up on my bed, "Yes, why? Did you see something?"

Her eyes were worried; I knew she was scared of exposing her lover. "I am a witch. I have all kinds of powers I just found out about. I know Alexander is a vampire," I paused, "And so is his friend Jagger."

Raven gulped and shook her head. My heart pounded as she stood up and walked over to me. She was silent for a while before responding, "Why is it that everyone around me has all these cool secrets and I'm just a stupid powerless human?"

That was not the reaction I was expecting. I was expecting her to deny everything about Alexander, to call me crazy and for her to run out and away from me. I couldn't believe that Raven was so quick to accept me and rat out her own boyfriend, "You're admitting it all?"

She shrugged, "You can ask him." She turned and opened my window, "Let's go see him, you can talk all about it. I'm sure there are plenty of things you need to catch up on."

I started to laugh, "Raven neither of us have real clothes on and besides, we are on the second floor!" She began to climb out, "Who cares? There is a tree right here and as long as we are wearing pants we are fine." I sighed and followed her.

She was obviously more skilled with climbing trees than I was. Her small body slid down gracefully as mine remained at the top. Raven giggled, "You are a witch and you're scared to climb down a tree?" I grunted and started on my way down. The rough surface cut up my legs as I continued until I was standing beside Raven. She put an arm around me as we walked towards Benson Hill. "I hope he's home," she spoke softly.

"I don't know where else he would be at midnight in this town," Raven took her arm off of me and let it run across her face. "You're right; I don't know what I was thinking. So… When did you find out you were all magical and shit?" I began to laugh, "Last Sunday, my mom called me home from my friend's house demanding to talk to me."

Raven looked up at me, "Who were you with?" I began to sweat, Alexander asked me not to tell. I couldn't lie and say I was with Becky or Matt because if she asked they would deny it and then everything would look worse than it really was. I thought for a second, "My friend Claudes." Her eyes widened and she looked at Alexander's approaching house.

"Oh, that's nice." I nodded and wondered what the deal with Raven and Claude was. Did she even know him? I figured he was just some random guy looking for fun at a club. Raven knocked on the door and my face became hot.

Alexander opened the door; his long hair messily framed his face. My eyes trailed down to his exposed torso, I noticed his pants sat just at the waist. Letting us inside he shut the door behind Raven and I. He looked at me before taking Raven in his arms, "What's going on, my love?" She looked up at him, "Ashley says she just found out she was a witch, and she thinks you are a vampire!" She laughed nervously. Alexander finally turned to me; he opened his mouth slightly and showed his suddenly sharp and long fangs, "I am. She is." My breathing hitched in my throat.

Raven giggled as if none of this was a shock to her, "Can we go to the living room so I can watch something while you two talk?" Alexander nodded and led us into a huge room within the mansion. Raven ran towards a flat screen TV and put on The Addams Family before laying her small body on the couch.

Alexander motioned for me to sit down at a small table in the corner of the room. He took a seat across from me and stared into my eyes for a second before speaking. "You didn't know when you left here last week, so when did you find out?"

I leaned back in the old chair, "When I went home my mother told me." He looked back at Raven, "You need to be careful. You cannot keep going to the cemetery. There are many vampires around here who would love to have a witch bride." I thought back to what my mother had told me about a witch being bound and turned by a vampire on sacred ground.

"Thank you for looking out for me." Alexander nodded, his eyes dark. "I don't mind. You needed it, I feel as though it is my job." He licked his lips and looked down.

"How many other vampires are around here," I questioned. "Many. That club was full of them; underneath it is a separate club for vampires only," his voice became soft so that Raven would not hear. "Have you found your mate?" I thought back to my mother's conversation, "No but I know the species. It's a vampire."

Alexander sighed as his eyes met mine; they looked sad and confused yet dark and demanding. I turned from him first, "I want Jagger's number." His breathing stopped, "okay." His tall body stood up and walked towards another room, I followed behind him. It was now one am and Raven had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Where is your butler?"

Alexander turned his head back to me as we walked into what appeared to be an office, "He went on a blood run. We are out and I haven't eaten in a few days."

"Alexander," I scolded, "why haven't you eaten? Raven would kill you if she knew that." He handed me a piece of paper with a line of numbers scribbled across it. I folded it and stuck it in my back pocket before he spoke again, "I only drink animal blood. There was a hold up at the butcher but it was been resolved now." A thought crossed my mind, witches couldn't turn from the bite from a vampire, and Alexander was starving. I looked up at him as he seemed to read my mind, "No. I will not drink from you." He walked out of the room, up the staircase.

"But Alexander you're starving," I ran after him, pulling his arm back to me. I was scared for him to bite me and deep down I didn't want him to. I didn't want a pair of fangs anywhere near me. He growled and pushed me against the wall. His eyes were darker than I had ever seen them, his fangs began to grow. Alexander's hand was wrapped around my neck, holding me in place. He came inches from my face before speaking.

"I could devour you in seconds. I could suck every ounce of blood from your body leaving you to die without even thinking about it, do not tempt me."

I shook under his touch, staring up at him. Seeing him like this was terrifying and I wondered if Raven was even aware he could act like this. Then again, he was a bloodthirsty animal. After a few seconds his eyes lightened and he let go of me. He continued up the stairs as if nothing happened. I grew aggravated; who did he think he was putting his hands on me like that? He reached the top of the stairs, walking into his room before I moved from my spot.

"What the fuck was that?" I screamed at him. He turned to look at me, "Please calm down, and do not wake Raven." Now I was enraged, "Why? Are you scared she's going to find out her boyfriend is an asshole who puts his hands on women?"

In a flash he was a few feet away from me. "I am just hungry," he growled.

"And I'm giving you a chance to eat that you aren't even taking. I'm trying to be nice, that is no reason to threaten me." He sighed, pushing me down on the bed. The next thing I knew he was on top of me, holding himself up so his weight wasn't too much for me to handle. His fangs brushed my neck. "I can't bite you there," he thought out loud. "It's too obvious and Raven will wonder." His hands touched just where my shirt ended and my heart was pounding. I felt like I was doing something wrong, but deep down I knew I wasn't. I was offering a friend medical help that Raven could not give him without ruining her life. Our lips never touched, it was not an emotional thing. What was wrong about it was that I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to feel his soft lips attacking mine. The heat began growing inside me as he lifted my shirt over my head.

His lips rested on my hip bone, he repeatedly kissed the spot. My mind was going crazy, I wanted his touch. I wanted more than for him to bite me. His kisses began to move up a few inches before stopping. His tongue traced the spot and I moaned as he softly bit my stomach. He looked up at me and held his finger to his mouth, silently begging me to keep quiet. I nodded and he went back to nibbling the spot before opening his mouth wide. His teeth were long and sharp; I felt adrenaline fill my body as he lowered his fangs to my skin. He moaned softly as he pierced through me and began to suck. A warm feeling I had never felt before filled my body. It felt as though at any second I would be able to see stars, everything became lighter as my hand traveled to cradle his head as he sucked.


End file.
